1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to luggage, and more particularly to a carrying and suspension system for soft luggage. 2. Description of Prior Art
The advantages of soft luggage, such as light weight and small storage space requirements when not in use have, in the past, been somewhat offset by certain problems associated with the carrying means attached to such luggage. An example of those problems is the popular nylon fabric travel bag which has a zippered opening extending along its top and end walls, and two carrying straps each having end portions stitched to and extending vertically down a sidewall of the bag. A central longitudinal portion of each strap is not connected to the bag but forms one of two carrying loops on opposite sides of the bag. To carry the bag, the loops are gathered together over the top of the bag to form a central carrying handle.
When the bag is lifted by its carrying loops, all of the lifting force, and thus the thread-to-fabric carrying stress, is concentrated along four rather narrow vertically extending and laterally separated areas on the fabric. Especially when the bag is large and heavily loaded, this carrying stress concentration can have a tendency to cause the fabric to rip along such narrow stress areas. Additionally, the carrying straps have a tendency to dig into the bag, creating unsightly bulges between the straps and imposing a concentrated lateral load on the bag's contents adjacent the connected strap portions, potentially damaging or displacing the contents. Such displacement of the bag's contents can also damage its zipper.
Conventional strap loops do not form a particularly comfortable carrying handle for heavily loaded bags which must be carried for more than short distances, being rather narrow and coming together at an angle from opposite sides of the bag. Moreover, unless joined when not in use, the loops often droop outwardly along the sides of the bag and are easily snagged in automated luggage handling apparatus.
For purposes of shape retention, a conventional soft travel bag is reinforced by means of wires or rods extending around the perimeters of its sidewalls or by rigid plates connected to its end walls. Such reinforcement greatly hinders the ability of the bag to be compressed against its contents (by, for example, tightening straps fastened to the bag) to keep them from shifting around in the bag when it is only partially loaded. Sidewall reinforcing rods substantially preclude any significant vertical compression of the bag, while end wall reinforcing plates substantially preclude any significant sidewall-to-sidewall or vertical bag compression. In either case, despite the fact that pliable material is used to construct the body of the bag, its shape adjustability is negligible at best. Thus, like hard luggage, unless the conventional soft travel bag is fully packed, its contents can easily shift around in it, thus wrinkling or damaging them, as the bag is being transported to its destination.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate or minimize above-mentioned and other problems.